Mom Shares the 8 Signs This Toddler Was 'Raised by a Dog'

The internet has been left in stitches after a mom revealed the signs that her toddler had been "raised by a dog."

In two videos on TikTok with over 400,000 views togeher, Kelly Madsen, 31, from Washington D.C., shared how her 2-year-old son Tyler has picked up some canine behaviors.

The family dog Bentley is a mini doodle—usually the result of a miniature poodle mixed with another breed. Energetic and often hailed as family-friendly, the doodle has become a popular mixed breed in recent years.

A 2021 study by researchers from the Hokkaido University in Japan looked at the role that having a family pet can play in the social and emotional development of children. The study found that living with dogs during early infancy can decrease the risk of developmental delay in communication, gross motor skills and problem solving.

The 5-year-old dog Bentley and toddler Tyler have been good friends since the get-go. "They have always been close," Madsen told Newsweek. "If you look through our account, you will see tons and tons of videos over the years of how inseparable they are. From Bentley being concerned when Tyler had hiccups as a newborn to having to wake him up every single morning, they truly love each other."

In the videos, Madsen shares how her toddler pants when he is happy, sits down for treats and even learned to bark before he could speak.

Tyler even plays fetch and "wags his tail" when he is excited about something. On TikTok, the videos have left viewers in stitches.

"This is beyond adorable," wrote one commenter, while another posted: "This is seriously the best thing I've ever seen."

Tyler isn't the only little one to have picked up some canine habits. In January, 14-month-old River captured hearts after a video of her growing and learning in the company of her dog siblings went viral.

Some commenters even shared how their children have grown up with pets, too. "Mine started growling at people when she was 7 months," joked another. "Raised by four dogs, she also sits for treats."

Another commented: "My daughter currently tries to shake off when getting out of the bath."

"These videos were inspired by two main things," said Madsen. "The first was a simple moment that I captured on video—I got out a treat and was planning to have Tyler give it to Bentley. When I took the treat out, Tyler said 'sit' and sat himself down."

The mom shared the video on Instagram where she got thousands of messages from people laughing at the adorable moment.

"I noticed that Tyler didn't just do that the one time. He did it every time I got a dog treat out. So, then I started thinking about all of the other things he does that are similar to dogs," said Madsen.

"The other thing that inspired the video was another account I know who posted a video of how they knew their baby was raised by a husky. Theirs focused on howling and snow-related things, but it showed me just how special the bond between a dog and its tiny human can be."

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.